Device for raising petroleum and the like



Jan. 29 1924.

J. STREDA DEVICE FOR RAISING PETROLEUM AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 15. 19223 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Jan. 29, 1924.

' J. STREDA DEVICE FOR RAISING PETROLEUM AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 13 19223 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z Cu I|||||| Jan. 29, 1924. 1,482,161

- J. STRQEDA DEVICE FOR RAISING PETROLEUM AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 13.1922 3 $he ets-Sheet 5 Awe/170w;

Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFrIcE.

JOSEF STREDA, OF TRUTNOV, CZEGI-IOSLOVAKIA.

DEVICE FOR RAISING PETROLEUM AND THE LIKE.

Application filed November 13, 1922. Serial No. 600,733;

and the like by means of the ordinary bailers, which consist. of a tubehaving in its lower end a non-returnvalve, it frequently happens thatthe bailers, when arriving at the well head, are almost exhausted ofliquid. This is due to the fact that the liquid is saturated with gaswhich expands on reaching altitudes of'lower atmospheric pressure andwhich, in leaving the bailer, carries the liquid with it.

The ob 'ect of the present invention is to remedy this defect, and :theinvention consists in providing the bailer with an additional valve-seatin the-upper end of the tube and suspending the bailer on avalve bodywhich cooperates with this seat so as to keep the bailer. closed againstinternal pressure while it is being raised, both valves being openduringthe filling of the bailer which is then eithersupported on thebottom of the well or partly suspended inthe liquid.

As difiiculties may be experienced in the opening of the'lower valveforemptying the bailer, if the pressure in the latter is allowed to riseexcessively, the upper valve body is formed with vents through whichthegas can escape without entraining the liquid, and meansare providedfor regulating the ventarea accordingto requirements.

Fig. l'of the drawings represents a vertical section of the head of theapparatus in its simplest form of construction, and

Fig. 2, across-section of the same on the line XX of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a different construction, and i i Fig.4,an elevation of this construction. Fig. 5 is a vertical section showinga further developmentofthe invention, Y

of the Fig. 6, a vertical section of one elements employed therein, and

Fig. 7 a cross sectio'n on the line Y Y of Fig.5.

The apparatus is composed of a tube A within the upperend of which avalveseat 8 is formed by means of'a sleeve (ifsecured -within"the tubethrough the medium of rivets 7.- The round head 2 of a valve may arealso vents 37 made in B iits the seat 8 and also serves as a support:for the tube, the body B being fitted at the upper end with an eyelet 5whereby the whole apparatus can be suspended ona rope or the like. Thusthe apparatus can be lowered through the borehole into an oilwell forraising oil from the latter. As the apparatus descends, the oil and thegas enterthe tube A from below and drive the air out of .it, as the tubeis then partly sus- To relieve overpressure, the valve head 2 a isformed with vents .4: which are drilled obliquely from the upper part.of the head screws for regulating the ventarea in accordance with theprevailing gas pressure.

For constructional reasons the eyelet 5 maybe screwed onto the valvestem 1, for

which purpose screw-holes 9 are made in the socket 6 and in the tube.wall for the temporaryreception of clamp screws 10, the latter beingemployed for gripping the valve stem while the eyelet is being applied.

For oil wells with considerable gas pressure, the apparatus ispreferably constructed as shown in'Figs.- 3 and 4. In this case there isa sleeve 11 secured by rivets 7 to the upper end of the tube A, thevalve seat S'ibeing formed in a' separate sleeve 6 which i A screw 35 isfitted in. a drill hole made at the junction of the two elements.

is screwed into the sleeve 11.

This screw, which: is ltself retalned'in position by means of a lockingpin36, prevents the 'two elements from relative rotary displacement.

, Above the valve seat there is'in the sleeve6 a downwardly projectinglip 38 which forms behind it a ring-shapedspace 39. There the sleeve 6for the escape of gas. j

The valve head 2 has an internal valve seat 17 for a ball 18, the seatbeing formed by a' hollow plug 14 which is screwed into a wide centerbore 3'. in the head. The plug has 2::

a head 15 which is formed with circumferential inotches 16 forcooperation with a spanner; A cross pin 14 locks the plng' 14 to thevalvehead. From the bore 3% a narate-aver here 1.3 is run right throughthe valve stem 1'. The bore 13 guides a bar 19 which bears with itsenlarged and" hollowed lowerend against the ball 18 so as to hold thelatter against the seat 17. A spring 21, which fits the reduced upperend 20 'of'the bar exerts pressure on the latter and on the ball, theupper end of the spring being supported by a screw 20 through the mediumof a variable number of plugs 22 which take the thrust. The screw 20 canbe adjusted for regulating the pressure ofthe spring on the ball valve.The eyelet 25 for the reception of the hoisting rope, is made in avertical, tapered plate 12 which is screwed onto the valve stem 1' bymeans of a boss B and locked in position by means of a cross-pin 23.Feet 24 are formed on the plate 12 for abutment against the sleeve 6when the apparatus is not suspended on the valve head. The boss B has anaperture to admit the screw 20. A locknut 26 for the screw, bearsagainst the boss, and is itself locked by means of a screw 27 which fitsin the plate 12 andwhich engages with apertures 28 made in thecircumference of the nut.

Vents 4 areinade in the valve head 2 so as to set the space 3 above theball valve 18 into communication with the space above the valve head 2;There are also vertical bores 29 made in the head2' around the bore 3;These bores communicate through ducts 33 with the vents 4 butarenormally closed by balls 32 which are supported by springs 31. Hollowscrew plugs 30 are fitted in the lower ends of the bores 29 so as tosupport the springs 31. Transverse ducts 34 in the stem 1 alsoestablishcommunication between the bore 13 and the outside space.

The modus operandi is as follows When the'apparatus is lowered into thewell, as previously described, the oiland gas enter the tube A wherethey are retained by the closing of the valves when the apparatus,

I suspended on the valve head'2, is raised. At

the expansion of the encloscd'gases, the spring'21, which is adjustedfor a certain pressure, allows the ball valve 18 to open. The gas thenescapes through the vents 4 which are directed towardsthespace 39.particles contained in the gas, will be retained in the space and fedback into the tube instead of being expelled at the top of the same andlost. The'same occurs with oil particles carried awayby the gas throughthe ducts 34, the latter being directed towards the sides of the sleeve6.

VVhen' the apparatus has been raised out of thewell, it is" supported onan oilreceiver for the discharge of the Contents. The

springs 31' are adjusted so as to hold the ball'v'alves 32 normallyagainst their seats. The discharge ofthe' contents begins, however,before thevalve head'2' has'prop'erly left its seat, and'if' any vacuumshould be created in the tube, the valves open so as to admit air. Thusa rapid and uniform discharge of the contents will take place.

In Figs. 5 to 7, anadditional mechanism is shown which enables theapparatus according to 3,;and 4 to be used for drawin liquid fromvarious levels, for instance from theupper or lower portion of an oillayer or from a water layer situated beneath it. For this purpose theplug 14 is extended downwards beyond the head 15 in the form of a rod 40which is surrounded by a coil spring 51. A washer 50, which is supportedon the rod by a nut 48, forms a support for the lower endof the spring,and the upper end of the spring bears aga nst a plate 46 whichfidmits'the rod through an aperture 47. The plate 46 is fitted inthelower end of a sleeve 44 which is secured to the valve seat sleeve 6 andwhich is formed with lateral apertures 45. A bore 41 in the rod 40communicates with the valve space 3 and also, through lateral apertures42 with the tube space. The nut 48 is adjusted for regulating the springand is locked in adjusted position by means of a cross-pin 49 whichpasses through apertures 43in the rod. In this case the weight of. theapparatus is carried by the spring 51 which, while'the apparatusdescends intothe well, prevents the valve 2 from reaching the seat 8.Thus the apparatus can pass easily through the liquid which is free toenter at the bottom of the tube and leave at the top of the same, andthe tube will at each moment be filled with liquid from the particularlayer through which it passes. When the apparatus arrives in theposition from which liquid is to be drawn, the descent is stopped, andas the upward movement begins, the spring 51 is unable to cope with theadditional weight. The valve 2. will then be placed against its seat,and the contents of the tube will follow it to the surface. By thisarrangement it is possible to draw liquid from any particular layerwithout mixing it with that of other layers through which it has topass.

By means of this apparatus the productivity of an oil-well can beconsiderably increased.

I claim: I

1. A bailer of the character described for raising liquid out ofpetroleum wells, chmprising a valve body having an enlarged valve head,a bailer tube having in its upper part a valve seat whereby it can besuspended on said valve head, and means forsuspending the apparatusthrough the medium of valve head, a bailer tube having in its upper parta valve seat whereby it can be suspended on said valve head, and meansfor suspending the apparatus through the medium of the valve body so asto prevent the liquid from being expelled by the expanding gases whenthe apparatus is raised, the valve head being provided with ventsthrough which gas can escape so as to relieve overpressure.

3. A bailer of the character described for raising liquid out ofpetroleum wells, comprising a valve body having an enlarged valve head,a bailer tube having in its upper part a valve seat whereby it can besuspended on said valve head, means for suspending the apparatus throughthe medium of the valve body so as to prevent the liquid from beingexpelled by the expanding gases when the apparatus is raised, the valvehead being provided with vents through which gas can escape so as torelieve overpressure, a spring-pressed valve controlling the inlet tosaid vents, and means for regulating the spring-pressure on said valvein accordance with the prevailing gas pressure.

4. A bailer of the character described for raising liquid out ofpetroleum wells, comprising a valve body having an enlarged valve head,a bailer tube having in its upper part a valve seat whereby it can besuspended on said valve head, means for suspending the apparatus throughthe medium of the valve body so as to prevent the liquid from beingexpelled by the expanding gases when the apparatus is raised, the valvehead being provided with vents for admitting air into the tube while thevalve bears against the seat, and spring-pressed valves normally closingvsuch vents and adapted to open when the pressure in the tube fallsbelow that of the atmosphere, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5; A bailer of the character described for raising liquid out ofpetroleum wells, comprising a valve body having an enlarged valve head,a bailer tube having in its upper part a valve seat whereby it can besuspended on said valve head, means for suspending the apparatus throughthe medium of the valve body so as to prevent the liquid from beingexpelled by the expanding gases when the apparatus is raised, the valvehead being provided with vents through which the expanding gasescontained in the oil can escape, and means for trapping and retainingoil particles carried away by such escapinlg gas.

6. baller of the'character described for raising liquid out of petroleumwells, comprisin a valve body having an enlarged valve head, a bailertube fitted at its upper end with a valve seat whereby it can besupported on said valve head, means for connecting the valve body to ahoisting element, a spring supporting the tube on the valve body, andmeans for adjusting the spring so that it prevents the valve head fromreaching its seat while the apparatus descends and allowsit to closeagainst the seat, so as to retain the liquid in the tube, under thestrain of the holsting element in lifting the apparatus, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

J OSEF STREDA. Witnesses:

VIZTUR KUPILKE, OTTO POLAT.

